Disruptive GenerositySample

Everyone carries a pain that hits a little harder—a cause that stirs something deeper inside. Maybe it’s a group of people, a specific issue, or a harsh reality that tugs at your heart. That’s not a coincidence. That’s direction.

Over the years, I’ve learned that true generosity becomes stronger when it’s fueled by purpose. In our family’s journey, we came across hundreds of causes we could support—and every one of them mattered: education, healthcare, children, justice, addiction recovery, and more.

But through prayer, conversation, and experience, we shaped what we now call our family impact thesis, which became our “generosity plan.”

Here are the pillars we decided to follow:

• Support missional projects: We give to efforts led by well-equipped people who steward resources wisely and genuinely want to impact lives with the Gospel.
• Prioritize business as mission: We believe work is a powerful tool for transformation. Not many in the mission field understand this, so we want to be part of the solution.
• Walk with early-stage projects: We focus on supporting initiatives less than 10 years old. From experience, we know how lonely and challenging those first years can be—and we want to show up in that critical stage.
• Give beyond money: As a family, we agreed to give not only financially, but also with our time, mentorship, connections, and active listening. We don’t want to just write checks—we want to walk alongside.
• Set a finish line: This may be the most countercultural piece—we’ve set a cap on our monthly income. Once we reach that limit, 100% of the surplus will be given away. After all, if we already have enough, why keep accumulating?

This plan brought clarity. It gave us focus. And most of all, it brought us joy. Every conversation with the four projects we currently support reminds us—we’re not just “helping.” We’re partnering with what God is doing in the world. And that has been a privilege.

Today, I want to challenge you: What cause sets your heart on fire? Invite your family into that conversation.

If you have a spouse and kids, ask them: “What breaks your heart? What do you wish you could change in the world?” Share what moves your own heart, too. You might just discover you already share a common cause.

And maybe your family’s generosity thesis will look completely different from ours—and that’s perfectly okay. What matters is that you live more generously, day by day.

It’s also important to remember: generosity isn’t just a personal practice. It can—and should—become a family legacy.

Tomorrow, we’ll give shape to that legacy. You’ll learn how to build your generosity plan, step by step. And what once felt distant will start to feel doable.

Let’s pray together:

God, You are so generous. Even though You own it all, You still give us the privilege of contributing. Help me lead my family into this conversation on generosity. Just like the families You called in Scripture, may my family be a blessing to our community and to the nations—through the way we give. In Jesus’ name, amen.